Many sofa models include a retractable sofa table, which is a device that folds from an upright position within a recessed area in the backrest of the sofa to a horizontal position resting just above or upon the seating surface of the sofa, where it can serve as a table surface. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,182 to Rasnick et al. Sofa tables are generally moved between these positions by some type of mechanism that is attached to the table itself and to some solid support within the backrest. Sofa tables have proven quite popular with consumers, who appreciate the convenience of having a table surface integrated into the sofa for storage of drinks, easy access of reading materials, and the like.
However, to date sofa tables have been unable to overcome certain shortcomings which have limited their use to specific sofa styles. The major shortcomings lie in the mechanism used to control the movement of the sofa table. Known mechanisms, such as that illustrated in Rasnick et al., are exposed visually in the open position to an observer facing the front surface of the backrest; these exposed linkages are aesthetically unpleasing- In addition, the mechanisms known to date are designed so that the thickness of the table section, including the table surface and the cushioned upholstered surface on the opposite surface of the table, is somewhat limited. This of course restricts the use of sofa tables to certain styles of sofas in which relatively thin cushions are used for the backrest. A further limitation of present sofa tables is the forward-to-rearward length of the table surface. Clearly, this dimension is limited by the height of the backrest and the mounting position of the mechanism. See Rasnick et al., supra, in which the mechanism is mounted approximately level with the upper surface of the table. However, prior art mechanisms have not taken full advantage of the space available within the cavity of the sofa backrest; in particular, the storage volume beneath the backrest and directly rearward of the seat has not been utilized.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism suitable for use with a sofa table which is not visible in the open position to an observer facing the backrest cushion. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sofa table and accompanying mechanism which are configured to permit the use of thicker sofa table units. It is an additional object to provide a mechanism which permits the use of a sofa table which is longer from front-to-rear than those currently known in this art.